The Gallery

Life in San Francisco for the rich and famous

These postcards capture the gentile aspects of life in San Francisco that Brock and Clarissa would have likely experienced: the Conservatory at Golden Gate Park; the Laurel Court Tea Room at the Fairmont Hotel; and the Cliff House restaurant along the edge of the Pacific Ocean

Life in San Francisco for the rich and famous

These postcards capture the gentile aspects of life in San Francisco that Brock and Clarissa would have likely experienced: the Conservatory at Golden Gate Park; the Laurel Court Tea Room at the Fairmont Hotel; and the Cliff House restaurant along the edge of the Pacific Ocean

Hurdy-gurdy music box

Ting Ting’s “hurdy-gurdy” music box resembles this hand-crank version that was found in a gift shop in Newport Beach, Calif. It plays that all-too-familiar circus theme song, “Entrance of the Gladiators.” However, it does so in a somewhat haunting way, just as it does in Blossom.

Rice bowl to remind you to be grateful for what you have.

Always full of rice, this bowl inspired the section of Blossom in which Grand Ma Ma describes China’s legendary Mt. Penglai … the land of the Eight Immortals. It was a place where there was no pain and no winter. Jewels grew on trees. And rice bowls never emptied … no matter how much people […]

Feather hat

This ostrich-feather adorned hat inspired the one that was given to Blossom in the novel. It’s authentic to the time period and was found intact in an antique store in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., just steps away from the world-famous mission.

The three stages of love cameo

This cameo not only illustrates a blossoming rose, but it symbolized the journey that the heroine, Blossom, takes in the story. It’s called a “Three Stages of Love” cameo. It was carved from a conch shell and came from Naples, Italy.

Mahjong tiles

These mahjong tiles are similar to the ones Grand Ma Ma played with, along with her three best lady friends, during their on-demand gossip sessions.

In the summer of 2000, I made sure that my kidnapped trip to San Francisco would not be complete without a ride on the cable cars…

In the summer of 2015, I climbed the Great Wall and soaked in all of the Chinese culture and history I could.

Here’s a vintage photo of the Tie Yick General Store at the intersection of Clay and Dupont.

In the winter of 2013, it was eerie to stand at the intersection of Clay and Dupont (now known as Grant Avenue) streets in San Francisco’s Chinatown. This is where Blossom and Brock meet before their first afternoon together up at Twin Peaks.

These mahjong tiles are similar to the ones Grand Ma Maw played with, along with her three best lady friends, during their on-demand gossip sessions.